An exploration of the role of the laity in light of the wisdom of Cardinal John Henry Newman “Michael Higgins’ The Church Needs the Laity is a lively and engaging introduction to the thought of John Henry Newman through the four lenses of laity, the university and the Magisterium, spirituality, and the priority of conscience. He reminds us that the Church today facing scandal and crisis needs to embrace more than ever Newman’s confidence in the laity.

"This book is a must-read not only for students of theology but for all serious-minded Catholics.” - Michael Attridge Associate Professor University of St. Michael’s College, Toronto

MICHAEL W. HIGGINS is President and Vice-Chancellor Emeritus, St. Jerome’s University in the University of Waterloo; Basilian Distinguished Fellow in Contemporary Catholic Thought, St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto; and Distinguished Professor of Catholic Thought Emeritus, Sacred Heart University, Connecticut. He writes on Vatican affairs for the Globe and Mail, served as chief consultant of Sir Peter Ustinov’s Inside the Vatican television series, and was co-author of the best-selling Power and Peril: The Catholic Church at the Crossroads. He lives in Guelph, Ontario.

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The Church Needs the Laity